The Tragic Life Of Florence Nightingale

Florence Nightingale invented the modern nursing profession and changed the course of public health forever. But she spent much of her own life sickly and reclusive, while also pushing back against the expectations of her day. This is her tragic true-life story.

Nightingale was born on May 12, 1820 in Florence, Italy to wealthy British parents. Her mother Frances was from an elite family of merchants, and her father William Edward was an affluent landowner. Nightingale spent most of her childhood in her family's Embley Park estate in Hampshire, England. She enjoyed many of the benefits of upper-class life. She was comfortable, well-traveled, and unlike most girls of the time, she received a rigorous education. Her father tutored her in math, science, philosophy, history, and the classics. But her family also held very rigid, traditional beliefs about the role women were expected to play in society. They did not believe women of wealth should work outside the home. Instead, they should be focused on finding a suitable husband, marrying well, and maintaining their class standing.

This became a point of contention when, at the age of 16, Nightingale received what she described as a call from God to become a nurse and minister to the sick.

Her family, especially her mother, rejected this idea outright. Frances had married well, and she expected the same of her daughter. Nursing was not a suitable profession for a respectable woman, and Florence's family forbade her from pursuing her call.

Watch the video to learn about the tragic life of Florence Nightingale!

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Unsupportive family | 0:00
The early days of nursing | 1:20
Turning down marriage | 2:12
Struggling with depression | 3:25
The Crimean War | 4:16
Long-term illness | 5:34
Becoming a hero | 6:13
Relying on male allies | 7:00
Possible inflammatory ailment | 8:12
Mental health struggles | 9:03
Final days | 9:57

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